Lemon Tiramisu
Tags: Dessert
Yield: 12
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 lemons zested
- ⅔ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed (from about 2-3 lemons)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 lemon peeled and juiced
- 4 teaspoons lemon extract or 4 tablespoons limoncello
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 ½ cups lemon curd about half of the prepared
- 1 lb mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 2 packs ladyfingers (see notes)
- lemon slices for decorating
- If using store bought lemon curd you will need 2 ½ cups, 725g, or 26oz by weight.
- In a medium saucepan (preferably non-metal saucepan), combine egg yolks, whole eggs, salt, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
- Heat on medium heat, whisking or stirring constantly. Let the lemon curd come to a simmer and thicken - approximately one minute after simmering.
- Once thickened, strain the curd through a wire strainer or cheesecloth to remove the zest and any lumps. Transfer to a non-metal heat safe bowl. Add butter to the curd and let sit for a minute to melt. Stir until fully melted and smooth.
- Cover with a piece of parchment paper or wrap placed directly on the surface and refrigerate until cold and thickened.
- While the lemon curd chills, prepare the lemon syrup. Combine water, sugar, lemon juice, peeled lemon zest.
- Bring to a simmer on medium heat and let cool. Once cooled, strain out the lemon peels and set aside in a bowl for later. If using lemon extract or limoncello, add it in at this point.
- Chill your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for 5 minutes. Pour heavy whipping cream into the chilled mixing bowl and whip to stiff peaks (I recommend using an electric mixer).
- In a large bowl, combine half of the cooled lemon curd (set aside the other half in the fridge) and all of the mascarpone cheese. Whisk until fully combined and smooth. Do not overmix or the mascarpone will become gritty.
- Add whipped cream into the lemon curd mixture. Gently fold with a whisk or spatula to combine, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream.
- Have a large, approximately 8” by 11” non-metal casserole dish ready. Briefly dip ladyfingers into the lemon syrup one at a time, placing them in tight rows inside the baking dish.
- Add half the filling on top, spreading all the way to the edges. Dip ladyfingers into the syrup one by one and place in a single layer on top of the filling.
- Add the rest of the filling on top of the second layer of ladyfingers. Spread it out all the way to the edge of the dish. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, top with remaining lemon curd and spread all the way to the edges. Slice or scoop with a spatula and serve. Add lemon slices and serve.
- Lemon syrup notes: You may need to double the amount of lemon syrup depending on how many ladyfingers you use, how dry they are, and how much you saturate them with syrup. The ladyfingers I used aren't fully dry so I didn't need to increase the amount of syrup.
- Storage: This lemon tiramisu will keep well in the fridge for up to four days. Freeze, wrapped tightly, for up to two months. It keeps really well in the freezer and tastes like ice cream when frozen.
- Ladyfingers: Depending on the dimensions of your baking dish, you may need more or less ladyfingers. I used two 5 oz (150g) packages of Milano giant ladyfingers.
- Ladyfinger substitutes: You can use your favorite vanilla cookies or sandwich cookies (like vanilla oreos) in a pinch.
